


I Was Just Tongue Tied

by goddess_julie



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mitch Is the MVP, No Smut, Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22133941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: Auston knows that if Freddie could, he would play all 82 games every season.  But he can't, so there are nights that he has to ride the bench and let their backup play.  Auston doesn't have to like it either, but there up sides of sharing the bench with him.orAuston pines.  Freddie is a hockey god.  And Mitch and JB are supportive friends.
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Auston Matthews
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	I Was Just Tongue Tied

**Author's Note:**

> This was written after the Islanders vs Leafs game 01/04/20 at Scotiabank Arena, so spoilers if you didn't watch, haven't watched but are still going to watch.
> 
> I just wanted some shmoop after the amount of smut I've written and am working on this week (still to be posted) and thought that this would be a cute little fic.
> 
> Not edited or beta'd by anyone but me, so if you see something, say something.

Auston knows that if Freddie was given the chance, he would play in all 82 games each season. Eighty two plus the road to the Cup and whatever post season games they play. There is no way in hell any coach, any management for any major league team… hell any teammates would let their goalie sacrifice his game or his body like that. Goalies are a different species of athlete from anyone else. The only other athlete that Auston would even begin to compare them to would be catchers in baseball.

They have laser focus, need to be four steps ahead of everyone on the ice or field in front of them and can often determine the pace and energy of the game.

Frederik Andersen is a hockey machine, probably the best goalie in the entire NHL and Auston Matthews would, in a perfect world, play every single game with Freddie in his net. Saving their asses night after night. They go out and score the goals and Freddie works tirelessly to keep their opponents’ goals out.

The Leafs have finally got someone on the bench who is fighting with them and for them, not against them. Their final puzzle pieces are falling into place and Auston knows that this year is going to be the year they make their move towards Lord Stanley. Fuck Boston beating them in the first round, fuck them all having an early summer. Fuck that feeling that they just couldn’t take this team to the end last season.

Auston knows that with Freddie having this fucking phenomenal year, JT captaining this team to bigger and better numbers than anyone could have expected, him, Mitchy and Mo supporting JT both on the ice and in the locker room, the Leafs are heading to follow the Raps in bringing a championship trophy to Toronto.

Unfortunately, Freddie can’t play every single game, so when he is forced to sit and watch on the bench with the rest of them, Hutchinson is their main defender. They get along pretty well, and Hutch seems like a good enough guy, but he’s not Freddie and he doesn’t have that calming, piercing stare that Auston feels when Fred’s eyes are staring at him through his mask across the ice. 

They won the last game of 2019 in Minnesota and the first game in 2020 in Winnipeg . But this is their first home game of the year and the entire team wants to ride this streak, keep the high going against the Islanders at the Scotiabank. They know they’ll have all of Long Island watching critically at their former captain and ‘traitor’. A small part of Auston understands that feeling when a player you’ve come to support and love leaves after a long tenure in your city, but hockey is a game of heart and fans sometimes forget that the team a player is on means just as much to the player as it does the fans. 

John’s childhood dream was to be a Leaf, play on the team that he grew up idolizing and rather than be happy that their favourite player is making his own dreams come true, they resent him for it. Auston is sure as fuck glad that JT is here, adding something to the team that they hadn’t even realized they were missing.

Hutch was at morning skate and on the ice when Auston joined the rest of the team after a quick meeting with Keefe. He couldn’t deny the pang of disappointment knowing that for their first game of the new year at home, Freddie would be on the bench and not on the ice with them.

He runs drills, watches tape and seeks Mitch out to see where they’re going to hit up for lunch. Freddie had spent the majority of the morning with a junior hockey team from Denmark and Auston hadn’t been able to keep the grin off his face at how happy his friend looked. How much meeting these kids and talking with them had meant to the kids, but more so how much he knew it meant to Freddie. Auston hoped it took a bit of the sting off of being benched for the night, and he knew better than to fuck with Freddie’s ‘non starting but game day none the less’ ritual.

“So,” Mitch pops a piece of garlic bread into his mouth and chews offensively. He’s grinning too big to be able to chew at the same time, and pieces of bread are falling out of his mouth. Mitch is also wiggling his eyebrows so Auston knows he’s going to be really smug about something.

“Yeah?” Auston shoves a piece of ravioli in his mouth that is too big and forces him to focus on chewing so that he can’t answer anything that Mitch is about to drop on him.

“You’re such a pouty bitch today,” Mitch is still smirking but he shrugs. “Is it because your boyfriend isn’t playing tonight? No Freddie on the ice for Matty to perv on?”

“First off, fuck you.” Auston chokes as he tries to swallow his food. “I’m never a pouty bitch, I’m a ray of fucking sunshine all the time.” He ignores Mitch’s cackle and continues. “Second, fuck you again, he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Yet,” Mitch sings and flutters his eyelashes. Auston’s forehead wrinkles and he frowns at his best friend, watching Mitch roll his eyes. “If you stopped being such a pussy and made a move, he’d be your fucking boyfriend instead of me having to watch you perv on him with those sad, puppy eyes.”

“Third, fuck you for that whole whatever the fuck it was.” Auston’s not pouting, he’s not. He’s also not going to respond because part of him that he refuses to acknowledge knows Mitch is right and he hates him for it. Except he loves him for supporting him no matter what and not making any of it weird and being a bro who will listen to Auston wax poetic about how perfect Freddie is when he’s had just enough to drink that Auston will forget that he’s chill and doesn’t pine after anyone. He’s Auston Fucking Matthews, people pine over him thank you very fucking much.

Auston hates the knowing grin that Mitch is flashing him across the table. Hates that neither of them have to say anything and the silence between them is comfortable. He hates how much he loves his best friend and their easy relationship.

The rest of his day goes on as usual. He heads home, plays a bit of chel until he passes out and takes a nap. Wakes up and gets ready to head to the arena, hopping into Mitch’s car that is waiting for him in front of his building. They are lost in their minds, focusing on what they need to do to get the win tonight. They go their separate ways once they park, laughing through their complicated hand shake and promising they’ll see each other in a few.

Auston is at his locker, listening to his pump me up playlist and focused. He barely registers Mitch sitting down, half dressed and wearing a huge shit eating grin. He shuts his eyes and focuses on the heavy bass of the music, the way he can feel it throughout his body until he feels a pair of eyes on him. One eyelid flutters open and he sees Freddie across the room staring at him, eyes focused in a way that is contemplative but for the first time in a while, hard to read.

He curls his lip just enough to flash Freddie a hint of a smile and watches the way his eyes crinkle as he gives Auston a full wattage smile.

Auston doesn’t lie to himself, acknowledging completely the way his cock jumps at that smile and the fluttering of his pulse. Thankfully that isn’t as noticeable as the blush that has taken over his cheeks. He tries to reason with himself that Freddie might think it’s because it’s hot in the locker room.

Not because FREDDIE is hot in the locker room.

“Gonna distract me on the bench Matty?” Freddie says as they file out of the locker room towards the ice. Mitch is standing at the entrance, handing out high fives and helmet bumps to everyone as they pass and skate out.

“We got you,” Auston responds as he taps his gloves on Freddie’s ass. "Hutch is gonna crush it, we’re gonna give these fans what they paid for. Gonna make you proud Fred.”

“Either way, I’m sure you’ll score tonight.”

Auston doesn’t afford himself time to think about the smile on Freddie’s face or the words that just came from his plush lips. He’s next, clapping Mitch on the shoulder and tapping their helmets together before he skates off and follows his teammates before him.

As much as Auston loves playing with Freddie on the ice behind him, he always forgets how much he loves having him on the bench with them. He has more time to focus on the other man, study the line of his jaw, the way he gets excited with them at a particularly heated point of the game and how he looks so proud that Hutch is holding his own and killing it between the posts.

Every time Auston skates back between shifts, he feels Freddie’s gaze on him, watching him with an intensity that is only amping Auston’s desire to win this game. To perform for their goalie who hates sitting out but does it with a grace that Auston isn’t sure he could manage if their positions were switched.

By the time the final buzzer rings the arena is on their feet celebrating. Auston skates over to Hutch and pulls him in for an enthusiastic hug and helmet crush. “Yeah, baby,” he screams, genuinely proud of the game that he played. He waves up to where he knows Justin and his crew are waiting for him where they’ll probably go out to a club and hide in VIP until he finds someone to take home. It won’t be who he wants, but it’ll be enough to get him through his high and help him sleep.

There are four messages on his phone when he pulls it out of his locker, Auston keying in his password to bring them up. He texts his family back and tells him how much he loves them and agrees that he and Mitchy are so in sync that they’re just so proud of him. He texts Biebs back to tell him to hold tight and will let him know when they’ve finished their cool down and debrief and tosses his phone into his bag. It’s a shock to see Freddie standing over him, looking down at him with a gentle smile.

“Good game Matty,” Freddie had already congratulated him so Auston’s not sure why he’s doing it again. He’s eye to eye with Fred’s thick thighs and his muscular stomach since he’s out of his pads and gear and only in his under uniform tights. Auston struggles to concentrate on Freddy’s face as he looks up and grins.

“Thanks Riko. What’s up?”

“Busy tonight?”

Auston’s eyes widen and he knows his jaw drops. He can hear Mitch snicker beside him at his response and gives him the finger without even turning his head. “Well I’ve got… Justin’s here and we were going to…”

Freddie raises an eyebrow. He places his hand on his waist and cocks his hip as if daring Auston to finish his sentence. He looks like he’s almost teasing Auston for how slow he is to acknowledge and understand what he’s offering.

“Uhhh, no. I don’t think I’m busy,” Auston chokes out with an embarrassed blush. This time he does turn his head to hiss at his best friend as Mitch doesn’t even try to hide his laughter.

“Fuck you,” Auston growls.

“Dude,” Mitch says with a shake of his head. “You’ve got no game.”

“You’ve watched my game,” Auston says hotly. Freddie gives a chuckle and Auston’s head snaps to look up at him. “I am the KING of game.”

“What’s your game?” Freddie laughs kindly, stepping between Auston’s spread legs. “Hi, I’m Auston Matthews?”

“Actually,” Auston cups and massages his groin as he smirks at the other man. Their eyes are locked in an intensely heated battle of wills. “Yeah. I’m Auston Matthews, wanna fuck? Works every fucking time.” His eyes widen as Freddie grips the sides of Auston’s cubicle over his shoulders. He’s boxed in by Freddie who is leaning in so that they’re nose to nose. Auston can smell the mint of the gum Freddie is chewing, he’s almost close enough that if he licked his lips he might even catch a taste of Freddie’s. 

He will deny the whimper that escapes his lips until his dying day.

“Hey, I’m Frederik Andersen.” Freddy says low and measured, his eyes flicker down to Auston’s mouth and back up to his eyes. “Wanna fuck?”

“Yes please,” Auston squeaks. He holds his breath as Freddie leans in as though to kiss him. Freddie bypasses his mouth and whispers into Auston’s ear, tickling the hair behind his lobe. Auston isn’t able to stop the full body shiver that results.

“Tell Bieber that you have other plans. Meet me at my car, we’ll go to my place.”

And within seconds Auston is sitting by himself as Freddie saunters across the locker room to his own space to finish changing back into his game day suit. Auston turns his head to see Mitch watching him with eager anticipation. Something clicks in Auston’s mind.

“You did this.”

Mitch doesn’t even try to deny it. “Bro, you’re pining so hard, I’M getting blue balls.”

“Mitch” Auston says firmly, eyeing his best friend critically. He watches Mitch shrink just enough and his face moves into a mask that he’s not sure how Auston is going to react and is genuinely worried that his best friend is mad at him.

“Y..yeah?”

Auston grins. “Thanks dude,” he says. It’s not how he would have approached it, but with the speed Auston has been moving, he’s not sure he’d ever get to this point with Freddie on his own. Mitch is a solid best friend and he needs him to know that. “You’re a beaut.” His phone chimes with an incoming text, distracting him from what else he was going to say. 

They both look at see Justin’s name illuminate and a _‘how much longer bro?”._ Mitch snorts and rolls his eyes.

“Can’t believe you almost just blew off Fred for fucking Bieber,” he says punching Auston’s shoulder playfully. “Noob.”

“Get bent,” Auston laughs and opens the message. He taps out a few words and locks his phone. Finishes undressing so he can go shower and meet up with Freddie. A new feeling of excitement has pooled deep in his stomach and is thrumming in his veins.

“Twenty minutes,” he says to Freddie as he passes him by on the way to the showers. Freddie responds with a nod and a wink. Auston decidedly does not giggle and blush.

~*~*~*

Outside the dressing room Justin Bieber’s phone chimes with Auston’s reply.

_“Not tonite dude. Got more scoring to do.” *winky emoji* *aubergine* *water splashes*_

The door to the locker room opens and Frederik Andersen walks out, expression on his face cool and confident, a strut in his walk. He passes Justin with a nod and a knowing smile. He may or may give a cocked eyebrow as their eyes meet.

Justin’s expression of surprise morphs into that of impressed awe.

_“Get in, Matthews. Get yo man!”_

As he’s about to step into the elevator to take him to where his car is waiting, Justin opens a new chat window in his phone. He types in Mitch’s name.

_“Fucking finally. Matts and Fred! U do that?”_

Mitch’s response is a smirky emoji and Justin grins.

_“Ur a legend Marns.”_

_“Tell me something I don’t know!”_

Finis.


End file.
